DC PSO v1, no serial number

Sylverant is a homebrew open source server for Phantasy Star Online. Dreamcast users still play PSO online with this server even today! This is the official forum for both the online game server as well as the open source project itself. Feel free to post and get a gathering started online! We can also show you how to get connected!

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DC PSO v1, no serial number

Post by retrojaner »

Hello everybody, I'm a new owner and I have only the GD without cover and serial number. The GD was only a gift, I just bought the hardware @eBay.

Is it even possible without the original serial number to play online?

Even offline the number is needed, right?
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Re: DC PSO v1, no serial number

Post by BlueCrab »

Look around online for a shared serial number, and use that.

For the most part, a shared serial is fine on the server. There are a few features that require a unique serial, but nothing too major. Especially not if you're using v1.
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Re: DC PSO v1, no serial number

Post by retrojaner »

Thanks! What is better to start as an absolute beginner? v1 or v2? Or is v2 today a "must"?
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Re: DC PSO v1, no serial number

Post by Aleron Ives »

V2 is pretty much a must, because V1 doesn't have the Ultimate difficulty or Challenge mode, which is where most people play. You can play V1 to interact with people in the lobby, but you'll have trouble finding anybody to play with. V2 can choose to make teams that V1 can see, but if they play V2-only content, then V1 can't see the team.
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Re: DC PSO v1, no serial number

Post by retrojaner »

OK, thanks. Should I buy v2 with an original serial number or is a shared serial number also OK?

Many auctions @eBay do not have a serial number or the seller can not say exactly.

And is the european PAL version also OK?
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Re: DC PSO v1, no serial number

Post by BlueCrab »

Any regional version will work, assuming you're going to use the Sylverant PSO Patcher disc before starting the game (which is highly recommended).

If you can find one with a serial number/access key included, then that would be preferable. You can play without one (using a shared serial), but once again, there are a few features of the server you miss out on if you do.
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Re: DC PSO v1, no serial number

Post by Aleron Ives »

The US version is probably cheaper and is easier to find with complete serials, because they're printed on a sticker on the jewel case and thus can't be lost. The boot disc will let you play a US disc on a EU Dreamcast, so you don't have to worry about the region lockout. If you haven't started playing EUv1 yet, then your easiest path would be to get USv2.
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Re: DC PSO v1, no serial number

Post by retrojaner »

Hello guys, thanks for help! Sounds very interesting.

Can I register both versions (V1/V2 PAL EU with shared serial number and V2 NTSC US with individual serial number) in one Sylverant account)?

Or is this useless? Test EU, play US...?
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Re: DC PSO v1, no serial number

Post by Aleron Ives »

You need multiple Dreamcasts if you want to do that, because PSO will get confused and save the wrong serials to your VMU, thus preventing you from loading your character anymore because the VMU's serials don't match the flash memory's serials. You can only have one V1 serial and one V2 serial saved to the flash memory of any particular Dreamcast at a time.
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Re: DC PSO v1, no serial number

Post by skyhawk71 »

As Aleron Ives suggested, I'd highly recommend getting USv2 since you're more likely to get one with the actual SNAK still intact. I don't see why you'd want to use EUv2 except, for a while, it and PC were the versions that everyone played cause, iirc, EUv2 lacked the Hunters License function (which is patched out in BlueCrab's PSO Patcher if you're running anything other than EUv2).

@BlueCrab: I thought shared serials were a bannable offense on Sylverant? Or is that no longer enforced?
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Re: DC PSO v1, no serial number

Post by BlueCrab »

skyhawk71 wrote:@BlueCrab: I thought shared serials were a bannable offense on Sylverant? Or is that no longer enforced?
Using them to play is fine. Registering them to an account is not.

It's only registering them that is a bannable offense. After all, when I first started with this, if using a shared serial was a bannable offense, I'd have had nobody playing on the server, practically. :wink:
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Re: DC PSO v1, no serial number

Post by skyhawk71 »

Ah, I see now.

@retrojaner: With that in mind, when registering SNAK's on the Sylverant Account Management page, it is required to use a real SNAK or create one via the Manage Guildcards page. Without a registered SNAK, you can't log in to the server in-game, meaning you can't use the friendlist function, server-side save back-up, and killtracker (for events).
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Re: DC PSO v1, no serial number

Post by BlueCrab »

skyhawk71 wrote:Ah, I see now.

@retrojaner: With that in mind, when registering SNAK's on the Sylverant Account Management page, it is required to use a real SNAK or create one via the Manage Guildcards page. Without a registered SNAK, you can't log in to the server in-game, meaning you can't use the friendlist function, server-side save back-up, and killtracker (for events).
One can still use /save and /restore -- just not the automatic character backup functionality.

Also, the friendlist doesn't require you to be registered either. To view it on the website, yes, you have to have an account, but not to just use it in-game.

The only thing normal players lose entirely by not registering is kill tracking for events.

Note: All GM functionality also requires an account for logging in, hence why I said normal players up there. :wink:
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Re: DC PSO v1, no serial number

Post by retrojaner »

skyhawk71 wrote:...or create one via the Manage Guildcards page.
You can really create a SNAK for DC there? And this registration is then valid?
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Re: DC PSO v1, no serial number

Post by Aleron Ives »

You can only create PSO PC serials on the website. You need an original serial from a game case in order to register for DC.
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Re: DC PSO v1, no serial number

Post by retrojaner »

Can I buy a JAP v2 GD/SNAK, register and play with US?
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Re: DC PSO v1, no serial number

Post by BlueCrab »

You can buy a Japanese v2 GD and play that game with users from any other region. There's no region-locking on the server at all. You will have to use the Japanese disc too, but it can easily be set to other languages once you start the game (any language a US or PAL disc supports is also supported on the Japanese disc). That said, I'd recommend getting a US or PAL disc over the Japanese one (unless there's a significant price difference), as the Japanese versions of the game do tend to have additional bugs that were fixed for the US and European releases.

That said, you will need to use something like the Sylverant PSO Patcher to boot the game and play it, otherwise you won't be able to connect to the server, due to checks in the game.
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Re: DC PSO v1, no serial number

Post by retrojaner »

OK, thanks! Often there is no serial number and you can only buy the GD (and manual)...
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Re: DC PSO v1, no serial number

Post by retrojaner »

Could an old serial number be stored in the flash? Should I reset the flash before I enter a new SNAK?

What happens if the new SNAK has already been used in the past? That could be normal when you buy used software...
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Re: DC PSO v1, no serial number

Post by Aleron Ives »

It's always a good idea to reset the flash memory of a used Dreamcast before you try to play PSO, in case the previous owner also played PSO.
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